As the cost of higher education continues to grow at astounding rates, research shows that, in most cases, students and their families face some level of debt to pay for their undergraduate degrees (Layman, 2011). This research study will use an engaged scholarship approach to address the reason some students repay their educational debt and some students’ intent to repay their debt is quite different from the desired behavior. Additionally, we review the factors that affect students from underprivileged socioeconomic backgrounds that are, unfortunately, the largest contributor of delinquent student loan debt. Specifically, this study will identify elements using qualitative measures that influence the student’s intent and behavior to act that will assist universities in policy development to change the perceived value and the academic sustainability of the student while understanding the student’s behavior related to socioeconomic barriers and self-sacrificing influences. Additionally, two theories are used as lenses to ground this study. The theory of reasoned action (Fishbein & Ajzen, 2010) is used as the focal theory, and place attachment theory (Scannell & Gifford, 2010) is used as an instrumental theory. The empirical results of this study offer factors that influence educational debt repayment and policy design.

The use of Renewable Energy (RE) has considerably increased in the last several years. Innovative forms of sustainable alternative energy production, such as solar and wind, have now become recognized energy sources. Following suit, this paper has reviewed Waste-to-Energy (WtE), an innovative and evolving form of RE, and its possible adoption in Nigeria to address both the energy crisis and the pollution problem. The theoretical framework of this paper utilizes the genesis of Fishbein and Ajzen’s (1975) theory of reasoned action (TRA), expanding on renewable energy studies using TRA such as Bang, Ellinger, Hadimarcou, and Traichal (2000) Mishra, Akman, & Mishra (2014), and the leadership-led change framework (Andrews, McConnell, & Wescott, 2010) in order to explain leaders’ behavior to adopt WtE in Nigeria. Four factors act as antecedents to the formation of attitudes and subjective norms about WtE, which then impact intentions to adopt WtE. Intentions then become a predictor of behavior for adopting WtE in Nigeria as a solution for energy and pollution issues. Combining these two theoretical frameworks allows us to study leader’s behavioral intentions and the behavior to adopt WtE in Nigeria. Leadership-led change was examined as a moderator in the relationship between intention and behavior to adopt WtE in Nigeria. Results showed that leadership-led construct did not have a statistically significant moderating effect. This led to a post-hoc analysis of leadership-led as a mediator, which showed leadership-led had a partial statistically significant mediating effect between leaders’ attitudes and intention to adopt WtE.

Les motivacions entorn al programari lliure han estat sempre un tema de gran interès, sent la pregunta més obvia, "perquè les persones treballen de forma gratuïta?". Les motivacions dels desenvolupadors han estat establertes (per exemple, von Hippel (2001), Lerner and Tirole (2002)). De la mateixa manera que ho han estat per a les empreses grans i petites que adopten programari lliure basat en models de negoci (per exemple, Lakhani and von Hippel, 2003; Fitzgerald, 2006; Krishnamurthy, 2004). No obstant això, un nombre cada vegada més elevat de les PIMES amb estratègies que no estan directament relacionades amb aquest model de negoci estan contribuint a les comunitats de programari lliure. En aquest estudi s'investiga les motivacions d'aquestes empreses des d'un punt de vista de comportament mitjançant un model d'investigació basat en TPB (Theory of Planned Behavior). Hem demostrat que factors com la "obertura" d'una PIME, la importància percebuda del programari lliure, els desenvolupadors (empleats) d'una PIME, juntament amb l'ambient extern, podrien influir en la decisió d'una PIME a participar en comunitats de programari lliure. A més, hem demostrat que es poden identificar algunes diferències entre empreses d'alta base tecnològica i empreses amb poca base tecnològica. Aquestes conclusions poden ajudar governs nacionals o regionals per millorar el disseny de polítiques per tal d'incentivar l'ús i la participació de les empreses en les comunitats de programari lliure. Especialment ara, degut a la forta crisi econòmica que pateix Europa, el programari lliure pot ser una solució adequada per a fomentar la innovació. / Motivations in FLOSS have always been a subject of great interest, by starting with the most obvious question, “why people work for free?”. The motivations of developers have been well established (eg von Hippel (2001), Lerner and Tirole 2002). The same exists also for big and small companies adopting FLOSS based Business Models (eg Lakhani and von Hippel, 2003; Fitzgerald 2006; Krishnamurthy, 2004). However an increasing number of SMEs with strategies not directly related to the Business Model are contributing to FLOSS communities. In this study we try to investigate these motivations under a behavioral perspective by using a research model based on TPB (Theory of Planned Behavior). We demonstrated that factors like the “openness” of a SME, the perceived importance of FLOSS, the developers (employees) of a SME along with the external environment of a SME, could influence the decision of a SME to participate in FLOSS communities. Also, we have demonstrated that some differences can be identified between high tech firms and non high tech firms. These findings can help national or regional governments to design better policies in order to better promote the use and the participation of firms to FLOSS communities. Especially now, in times of heavy economical crisis in Europe, FLOSS can be an adequate solution to foster innovation.

The aim of this   study is to investigate whether IT users with a reasonable awareness of data   gathering, in the context of Big Data, perceive this data gathering as a   threat to their privacy and if they take steps to counteract it. Building   upon previous research, such steps are assumed to be either ”active” or   ”passive”. Active measures serve to hide data or obscure its contents from   those who would collect it, for example by using a VPN (Virtual Private   Network) or fake aliases, while passive methods might consist of avoiding to   speak out on certain topics or seek out information that may be deemed   suspicious. Based largely on the Theory of Reasoned Action a theoretical   model has been developed to investigate whether a correlation can be seen   between beliefs about data gathering as a privacy threat and the intention to   protect oneself from this threat. To this aim a survey was given to   university students at programmes closely related to IT, as they would likely   have a good understanding of the subject at hand and would be well equipped   to answer the survey´s questions. The results show that almost all of the respondents   see Big Data related data gathering as a threat to privacy and the majority   see themselves likely, to varying degrees, to take measures to protect   themselves. The data shows a reasonable, though weak, correlation between   this view of data gathering as a privacy threat and the tendency towards   self-protection. Further, there is a clear preference towards active   measures, though this may in part be a consequence of the respondents'   aptitude for IT. Further research should be done to investigate the prevalence   of the view of data gathering as a privacy threat in society at large, and   the extent to which it results in self-protective behaviour such as self   censorship. Additionally, the theoretical model developed for this study   should be further developed and tested so that it may be of use in future   studies on data gathering and its effect on IT users. / Denna studie ämnar utreda om IT-användare med en   viss medvetenhet om Big Data-relaterad datainsamling ser denna som ett hot   mot sin personliga integritet och om de då tar steg för att skydda sig från   detta hot. Baserat på tidigare forskning har två typer av   integritetsskyddande åtgärder identifierats: ”aktiva” och ”passiva”. Aktiva   åtgärder är sådana som syftar till att dölja eller otydliggöra data för den   som samlar in dem, exempelvis genom att använda en VPN (Virtual Private   Network) eller falska alias, medan passiva åtgärder kan gå ut på att undvika   att uttala sig om vissa saker eller söka ut information om suspekta ämnen. En   teoretisk modell, baserad till stor del på Theory of Reasoned Action, har   utvecklats för att undersöka om ett samband finns mellan övertygelser om   datainsamling som integritetshot och avsikten att skydda sig från detta. I   detta syfte har en enkätundersökning skickats ut till studenter på   universitetsprogram med stark IT-anknytning, då dessa antas ha en god   förståelse för undersökningens ämnesområde och bör vara väl rustade att svara   på dess frågor. Resultatet visar att nästan alla av respondenterna ser Big   Data-relaterad datainsamling som ett hot mot den personliga integriteten och   de flesta kan se sig själva, till varierande grad, ta steg för att skydda sig   från detta hot. Man kan se en rimlig, om än svag, korrelation mellan denna   syn på datainsamling som integritetshot och avsikten gentemot   integritetsskyddande beteende. Vidare kan man se en klar preferens för aktiva   åtgärder, vilket delvis kan ha att göra med respondenternas förmodade höga   IT-kunnande. Ett område för framtida forskning är hur utbredd synen på   datainsamling som integritetshot är i samhället i stort och i vilken   omfattning den ger upphov till integritetsskyddande beteende såsom   självcensur. Däröver bör den teoretiska modell som utvecklats för denna   studie ytterligare förbättras och testas, så att den kan användas som ett   verktyg i vidare forskning kring datainsamling och dess inverkan på   IT-användare.

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The shift towards electric vehicles has during the last years increased; nevertheless, the rate has not been fast enough. Electric vehicles have several environmental benefits as reduced CO2 footprint and a lower climate impact. On the other side, the reality shows that there are several adoption barriers on an individual level for electrical vehicles. These are technical, economic, infrastructure, policy, and social. However, a low amount of literature focuses on the business sector. This thesis examines and explores what the different adoption barriers are concerning battery electric vehicles for small and medium enterprises in Sweden, and why they occur. The purpose of this is to fill the current research gap and provide valuable data to vehicle providers/manufacturers in Sweden. To reach the objectives, an extensive theoretical framework has been created to accurately utilize current literature. In the thesis, five small and medium enterprises participated, and interviews were conducted with nine informants at the specific companies. The findings display that the technical, economic, and infrastructure barriers have the most negative effect on the possibility to adopt battery electric vehicle. It further shows two new barriers, planning and customer/competitors which influence the adoption of battery electric vehicles. These findings solely display the barriers for small and medium enterprises, and by linking together with current literature, new barriers have been presented in terms of planning and customers/competitors.

Background: Fast furniture is a growing trend similar to fast fashion and fast food, implying that manufacturers produce large quantities of inexpensive furniture. At the same time, consumers use the furniture shorter and replace it more frequently. Fast furniture relies on high resource consumption, outsourced production, and furniture design that makes it necessary to replace it more often. This causes a decrease in quality and an increase in produced quantities. Most of the furniture worldwide is landfilled as it is not recyclable due to low-quality materials. One potential solution is implementing Circular Economic practices, including furniture rental as an alternative way of consumption. Consumer acceptance of this model is scarcely researched, but the formation of consumers' attitudes and intentions has been the subject of publications in other consumption contexts. The recent literature is reviewed, and a research framework was built based on the Theory of Reasoned Action and additional intrapersonal barriers and drivers. Purpose: This research aimed to explain the relationship between intrapersonal barriers and drivers with attitude and behavioral intention towards furniture rental. Further, it was aimed to show which furniture categories are most likely to be rented. Method: A quantitative approach deploying a self-administered online survey was chosen. 235 usable responses were gathered, which were analyzed using PLS-SEM to assess the hypothesized relationships. Conclusion: The findings show that the overall attitude towards furniture rental is positive. Trend orientation and perceived risk are the most influential antecedents of attitude and behavioral intention. Supporting the Theory of Reasoned Action, attitude is the strongest predictor of behavioral intention. Perceived sustainability value, perceived economic value, and materialism also significantly influence the intention to rent furniture. Familiarity with the Sharing Economy shows no significant influence. The study contributes to the existing literature on consumer intentions to use alternative consumption. A new research model was developed based on existing theory and literature. Managers can use the findings to alter, adapt, and build their furniture rental service offerings.

To facilitate a better understanding of the social psychological factors that influence adoption of project management practices, this study draws upon the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) from social psychology, and the technology acceptance model (TAM) from information systems research. These models define and relate a number of belief constructs that predict the acceptance of technologies in a variety of settings. In general, the three models each have relatively consistent empirical support, with comparison studies showing mixed support for each of the models being the moderately "better" model. In the current study, the three models are thoroughly integrated using a latent constructs approach and structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques. Overall, constructs from TRA and TAM, but not TPB, predict the use of specific project estimating, plan development, and plan commitment practices defined in the Capability Maturity Models (CMM/I).

Bakgrund: Forskning om missförhållanden visar att äldre som bor på särskilda boenden utsätts för olika former av missförhållanden. De olika formerna av missförhållanden som sker inom äldreomsorgen kommer till uttryck på olika sätt, såsom psykisk och fysisk vanvård samt försummelse. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur omvårdnadspersonal uppfattar eventuella missförhållanden inom äldreomsorgen och varför de tror att missförhållanden uppstår på särskilda boenden. Syftet var även att utifrån Theory of Reasoned Action tolka omvårdnadspersonalens potentiella agerande i situationer då det uppstår missförhållanden. Metod: Studien nyttjade en kvalitativ forskningsmetod i form av en vinjettstudie medfokusgrupper. Materialet analyserades genom tematisk analys. Resultat: Resultatet visade att omvårdnadspersonalen hade olika uppfattningar kring missförhållanden. Brist i arbetsmiljö såsom tidsbrist, personalbrist och stress var troliga orsaker till missförhållanden. Genom Theory of Reasoned Action indikerades att kollegors påverkan, så kallade ”subjektiva normer” och egna attityder kan bidra till en förståelse om varför missförhållanden uppstår på särskilda boenden. / Background: Research on elder abuse shows that elderly people living in nursing homes are exposed to various forms of abuse. The various forms of abuse that occur in elderly care are expressed in different ways, such as mental and physical abuse, and neglect. Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate how nursing staff perceive possible elder abuse in elderly care and why they believe that elder abuse occurs in nursing homes. The aim was also to interpret the nursing staff's potential actions in situations where elder abuse occurs based on the Theory of Reasoned Action. Method: The study used a vignette methodology with four focus group interviews. The material was analysed through thematic analysis. Results: The results showed that nursing staff had different perceptions of elder abuse. The respondents believed that, among other things, deficiencies in the work environment such as lack of time, staff shortages and stress were likely reasons for elder abuse. The Theory of Reasoned Action indicated that colleagues' influence, also known as "subjective norms" and their own attitudes can contribute to an understanding of why elder abuse occurs in nursing home.

En viktig fråga för hur våra städer och samhällen ska bli mer hållbara är hur andelen hållbart resande kan öka, samt hur bilanvändandet kan minska. Mobility management är ett koncept inom vilken man implementerar mjuka åtgärder för att öka det hållbara resandet. Det används dock främst i stadsmiljöer. Denna studie undersöker om och i sådant fall hur mobility management-åtgärder skulle kunna implementeras i området Lindbacken i Uppsala. Lindbacken är ett småhusområde, beläget på glesbygden ungefär en mil utanför centrala Uppsala. Detta gör att området till synes inte är passande för denna typ av åtgärder. En fallstudie genomfördes för att skapa en förståelse för Lindbacken som område och dess invånare. Den var uppdelat i tre delar: en områdesstudie med insamling av sekundär statistik och inventering av området, en enkätstudie för att skapa en förståelse för de boendes attityder och resebeteenden samt en intervjustudie med representanter från Uppsala kommun och kollektivtrafikaktören UL. Tillsammans med tidigare forskning utgjorde fallstudien grunden för studiens analys och slutsats. Som teoretiskt ramverk användes de tre miljöpsykologiteorierna Theory of Reasoned Action, Theory of Planned Behavior och Goal-framing Theory. Från studien framgår att mobility management-åtgärder skulle kunna implementeras i Lindbacken, men att dessa bör kombineras med fysiska åtgärder för att ge bäst effekt. Åtgärderna bör fokusera på att stärka invånarnas känsla av kontroll över trafiksituationer kopplade till hållbart resande, exempelvis kopplat till tidseffektivitet. Åtgärderna bör också verka för att stärka en positiv attityd gentemot hållbart resande samt för att motivera beteenden som efterlevs med målet att göra vad som anses lämpligt. / An important question for how to make our cities and societies more sustainable, is how to increase the amount of sustainable travel as well as reducing car-use. Mobility management is a concept in which soft measures are implemented to increase sustainable travel. It is, however, mostly used within urban areas. This study explores if and how mobility management measures could be implemented in the area Lindbacken in Uppsala. Lindbacken is a residential area in the rural outskirts of Uppsala, about 10 kilometers from the city center, thus making it seemingly less appropriate for this kind of measures. A case study was performed to create an understanding for the area of Lindbacken and the residents. It was divided into three parts: an area study consisting of collecting secondary statistics and making an inventory study of the area, a questionnaire study to gain an understanding of the residents’ attitudes and travel behaviors, and an interview study with representatives from Uppsala municipality and the public transport actor UL. Together with previous research in the field, the case study was the foundation for the analysis and conclusion of the study. As a theoretical framework the three environmental psychology theories Theory of Reasoned Action, Theory of Planned Behavior and Goal-framing Theory was used. The study makes clear that mobility management measures could be implemented in Lindbacken. They should however be combined with hard, physical measures to gain the best effects. The measures should focus on strengthening the residents’ feeling of control in relation to traffic situation connected to sustainable travel, e.g. when it comes to time efficiency. The measures should also work to strengthen positive attitudes towards sustainable travel, as well as motivating behaviors that is acted out with the goal to do what is considered most appropriate.